Apparatus for coating pipes or bars.



N0. 6 82,|47. Patented Sept. 3, I90l.

H. B. LYNCH.

APPABATUSFOR COATING PIPES 0R BARS.

Application filed June 2, 1899.)

(No Modal.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

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No. 682,147. Patented Sept. 3, 190i. H. B. LYNCH.

APPARATUS FOR COATING .PIPES 0R BARS.

(Application filed June 2, 1899.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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UNITED- STATES PATENT FFICE.

HARRY l3. LYNCH, OF VERSAILLES, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR COATING PIPES OR BARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 682,147, dated September 3, 1901.

Application filed June 2,1899. Serial No. 719,058. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY B. LYNCH, a resident of Versailles, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Coating Pipes or Bars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to certain improvements in apparatus for coating pipes or bars, being an improvement upon the apparatus patented by me on June 9, 1896, No. 561,712. In the said patent I provided a coating-pot containing one or more cranks to receive one or both ends of the pipes which were built above the same and to lower such pipes down into the coating-tank, and after the pipes were sufficiently heated to cause the union of the coating metal with the surface thereof to raise one end of thepipes from the metal, so as to permit the drawing of the same longitudinally from the pot. Though this has been found in practice a very rapid and efficient way of coating such pipes or bars, the operation was necessarily, as it might be called, intermittent, becausethe pipe must remain within the coating metal sufficiently long to become heated before the coating metal would adhere to it and during such time the operation of drawing must be discontinued. The present invention has for its object certain improvements on this apparatus by which the coating operation can be made practically continuous and a much larger output obtained from the same coating-pot.

The apparatus consists, generally stated, in means for bringing the pipes or bars entirely over the bath at one side of the tank, immersing the same transversely of their length in the bath, passing the same transversely of their length from one side of the bath to the other While immersed therein, and then raising one end thereof from the bath and drawing themlongitudinally therefrom, in this Way providing for the immersion of the pipes and their heating in one side or section of the bath While the pipes on the other side or section are being withdrawn and as soon as such pipes are withdrawn for the passage of the pipes previously immersed to the other side of the tank from which they can be immediately withdrawn. A practically-continuous operation may thus be carried on, one set of pipes being withdrawn, another set of pipes being immersed ready to be passed into withdrawing position, while the third set may be charged in position over the bath to be immediately immersed as soon as the previous charge has been passed into withdrawing position.

It also consists in certain other improvements, including peculiar crank mechanism, for raising the pipes in the withdrawing-section and at the same time preventing passage of the pipes from the immersing-section into the Withdrawing-section and when the charge or set is Withdrawn for permitting passage of the pipes from the immersing into the withdrawing section.

It also consists in certain other improvements hereinafter described and claimed.

To enable others skilled in the art to practice my invention, I will describe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which' Figure 1 is a plan view of the preferred form of apparatus for practicing the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1, illustrating the different operations. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the operative mechanism for handling the rotating crank. Figs. 4 and 5 are cross-sections on the line 4. 4, Fig. 2, showing the rotating crank in the two different positions, one receiving the pipe from the immersing-section and the other holding the same in Withdrawing position while closing the passage of pipe from the immersing into the withdrawing section; and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the crank in its two different positions.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each.

The coating-pot A, illustrated in the drawings, is the ordinary coating-pot employed for galvanizing and may be considered as illustrating any such pot or tank either heated or unheated, according to the coating material employed, it of course being unnecessary to use a heated tank with asphalt, tar, or like coating materials. As the manner of heating the same when employed for galvanizing forms no part of the present invention, it is not illustrated.

Extending longitudinally above the pot is a central partition B, which enters a short distance into the metal bath and divides it into the charging-section C and the withdrawing-section D, said partition also serving for retaining the flux used in galvanizing within the charging-section and protecting the workmen to some extent from the heat. Extending at an incline within the pot and below the surface of the bath are the bars b l), which receive the pipes as immersed in the charging-section and down which they slide into the withdrawing-section when the same is open, from which they are raised by means of suitable mechanism, such as by means of the crank E, hereinafter described. Leading to the charging-section are the guide-rails a, down which the pipes roll or are pushed, so as to be received into position. to enter the'charging-section of the bath. For the purpose of building up a charge ready for immersion I prefer to eX- tend across the charging-section the removable supporting-bars f, which enter seats f, formed for them in the central partition B, two such bars being extended across above the metal in the immersing-section, as shown, and the pipes roll from the guide-rails 0! onto the bars, as shown in Fig. 4, ready to be immersed. Above the charging-section is the pusher g, which can be operated in any suit-.

able way, it being preferred that the pusher shall have a shoe g of the full width of the immersing-section, so that when the supporting-bars f are withdrawn it may force the pipes, which are then free to enter the metal, downwardly and assure the quick immersion of the entire charge. The mechanism shown for operating the pusher consists of the lever g fulcrumed on the bracket 9 at the free end of which the pusher g hangs, the opposite end of said lever being connected to the link-bar 9 which is in turn connected to the hand-lever g at one end of the pot and in convenient position for the workmen.

Mounted on the other side of the potthat is, the drawing side-is the crank-shaft E, which is mounted in bearings e and carries the gear-wheel e, which meshes with the pinion h on the shaft h, said, shaft h carrying the hand-wheel h and the gear-wheel e being engaged by the pawl h. This crank-shaft is of peculiar construction, as illustrated by the drawings, itsfunction being when in its lowest position to receive the pipes which slide down the inclined bars I) from the chargingsection into the withdrawing-section and at the proper time to lift one end of such pipes above the metal of the bath, as shown in Fig.

2, in position for drawing and at the same time to prevent the passage of the pipes from the charging-section into the withdrawingsection. For this purpose the crank-shaft has first the arm 70, which extends downwardly when the crank is in its lowest position, then the arm '5, which extends outwardly toward the partition 13, and then the arm Z, which extends out at approximately a right angle to the arm and parallel with the length of the tank. The special function of this arm Z, which travels close to the partition 13, is to hold back the pipes in the charging-section and prevent their slipping down into the withdrawing-section of the pot until desired, its position in accomplishing this end being shown in Fig. 2 and in Figs. 3, 5, and 6, where it is seen that when the crank-arm k is raised to a horizontal position, so that the supportingarm '6 of the crank holds one end of the pipes above the metal, so that they may be grasped by the tongs and drawn therefrom, the arm Z will extend downwardly, approaching a vertical position, and the pipes sliding from the charging-section 0 down the inclined'bars will strike against such arm Z of the crank-shaft and be held thereby in the charging-section. Beyond said arm Z and extendingin the opposite direction is a heel or lug m, which serves to retain the pipes between the arm 7i) and said heel when the crank is raised into position for withdrawing the pipe, as shown in Fig. 2. This heel m therefore acts as a shoulder or lug to confine the pipes and prevent contact with the central partition B when raised from the tank, as shown in Fig. 5. At the withdrawing end of the tank or pot is the bar 19, over which the pipes are drawn as they pass from the tank.

In practicing my invention with the apparatus above described as the pipes slide down the guide-rails a they are collected upon the supporting-barsf, extending across the charging-section O, a sufficient number being collected on said detachable bars to fill the charging-section of the tank. The operator turns the crank E into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 5, so throwing the arm 5 in a vertical position, so that it bars the passage of the pipes from the charging-section into the withdrawing-section, and he then withdraws the detachable supporting-bars f, which leaves the pipes free to descend into the chargingsection, and by means of the pusher 9 he forces the pipes down into the same until they rest upon the inclined cross-bars b. The pipes are permitted to rest in such charging-section until they are brought to such heat that the coating metal will unite therewith, and meanwhile the detachable supporting-bars f are placed back in position across the top of the charging-section and another charge or set of pipes collected thereon ready to be immersed. As soon as the first charge of pipe is sufficieutly heated the operator, by means of the wheel 72., turns the crank-shaft H, lowering the same into the tankinto the position shown in Fig. 4, so drawing the arm Z out of the course of the pipes in the charging-section and bringing the arm 1' in line with the inclined bars I), so that the-pipes will naturally roll down the latter, passing transversely of their length into the withdrawing-section and collecting upon the arm '6 of the crank E. At the proper time the operator turns the crankshaft E in the opposite direction and so lifts one end of the pipes out of the tank into the position shown in Figs. 2 and 5, and in so doing he draws the arm l of the crank-shaft into substantially vertical position,so that it again bars passage from the charging into the withdrawing section. As soon as this operation is completed the workmen grasp the coated pipes at one end and draw them longitudinally and at an incline from the tank over the bar 13, permitting them to drain asthey are withdrawn and drawing one or more pipes at a time, as found desirable. As soon as the crank H is raised into the position shown in Figs. 2 and 5 ready for withdrawing the pipes the operator draws back the detachable supporting-bars f, leaving the pipes thereon free to descend into the charging-section and, if necessary, forces them down by the pusher g, so that a charge of pipes is immersed within the charging-section and are being heated and coated while the coated pipes are being drawn out from the withdrawing-section. As soon as the charge of pipes which had been supported above the charging-section are immersed the bars f are again placed in position and another charge of pipes collected from the guide-rails a upon the supportingbars f in posit-ion to be charged when the charging-section is again empty. In this way I am enabled to work continuously, the workmen always having a charge of pipes ready for withdrawal, another charge being immersed and heating, so as to be carried into position for withdrawal, and a third charge being brought into position for immersion, and I am therefore enabled to coat a very large tonnage of pipes per day, while providing full time for the heating of the pipes by the coating metal and the raising of the pipes to the proper heat for the union of the coating metal therewith, so that a practically perfect coating is obtained, combined with exceedingly-rapid work.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a coating pot or tank, of movable means for supporting a charge of pipes in position to be immersed in the tank but preventing their entrance therein, and means independently movable with relation to said supporting means for simultaneously raising a charge of coated pipes therefrom, while a third charge is immersed in the tank.

2. The combination with a coating pot or tank having a charging-section and a withdrawing-section,of means for raising a charge of coated pipes from the withdrawing-section, and simultaneously holding a second charge in the charging-section and preventing their entrance into the withdrawing-section.

3. The combination with a coating pot or tank having a charging-section and a withdrawing-section,of means for raising a charge of coated pipes from the withdrawing-section and holding a second charge in the chargingsection, and means for simultaneously supporting a third charge in position to be immersed.

4. The combination with a coating pot or tank having a charging-section and a withdrawing-section, of bars extending across the tank, and a movable bar within the tank between the charging-section' and the withdrawing-section for holding the pipes on said crossbars within the charging-section, while preceding pipes are being withdrawn from the withdrawing-section.

5. The combination with a coating pot or tank having a charging-section and a withdrawing-section, of bars extending across the tank, a movable bar for holding the pipe on said cross-bars within the charging-section, and a pusher over the charging-section adapted to push the pipe down into the bath, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with a coating pot or tank, of guide-bars extending across the same, and a rotating crank extending from one side of the tank part way across the same and adapted to receive the pipes from said crossbars, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with a coating pot or tank having a charging-section and a withdrawin g-section, of cross-bars within the tank extending at a downward incline from the charging into the withdrawing section, and a rotating crank-shaft having a crank-arm extending part way across the tank and adapted to receive the pipes from said inclined bars, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination with a coating pot or tank, of cross-bars within the tank, and a ro-- tating crank-shaft extending part way across the tank and having a supplemental arm extending at an angle to its main crank-arm and adapted when the crank is raised to extend downwardly and prevent sidewise travel of the pipe on the cross-bars, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination with the coating pot or tank, of a crank-shaft mounted at one side thereof and having a crank extendingpart way across the tank and provided with the supplemental arm extending at an angle to the main arm and adapted when the crank is raised to extend downwardly within the tank, and cross-bars within the tank extending at a downward incline toward the crank-shaft,

substantially as and for the purposes set forth. 10. The combination with a coating pot or tank, of a partition extending longitudinally thereof and dividing the same into charging and Withdrawing sections, removable bars extending across the top of the charging-section, cross-bars extending across the tank within the same, and a movable bar adapted to hold the pipes upon such cross-bars and within the charging-section, substantially as set forth.

11. The combination with a coating pot or tank of a crank mounted at one side of the tank and extending down into the same, said crank having a horizontal arm extending from the outer end thereof, and a heel or lug at the I crankhavingahorizontal arm extending from outer end of the horizontal arm.

12. The combination with a coating pot or tank, of a crank mounted atone side of the tank, and extending down into the same, said crank having a horizontal arm extending from the outer end thereof, and an arm Z, extending at an angle to the horizontal arm.

13. The combination with a coating pot or tank, of a crank mounted at one side of the tank, and extending down into the same, said the outer end thereof, an arm 1, extending at an angle to the horizontal arm, and projecting rearward beyond the same to form aheel 15 or lug.

In testimony whereof I, the said HARRY B. LYNCH, have hereunto set my hand.

HARRY B. LYNCH.

Witnesses:

FRANCES D. SCOTT, ROBERT C. ToTTEN. 

